Seal for arc-light electrodes.



ELLBERRY. SEAL POB. ARO LIGHT ELECTRODES APPLICATION FILED 81:1"1` ZB. 190B.

91 8,500. Patented Apr. 2o, 1909.

Wltnesses lnventor.

. Edward Rerry. ,1L/paw by f Ati/Cy.

uma-ED srATias PATnNT'o-Flu'cn.

i EDWARD It.A BERRY, Uli

LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC OOM- PANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

VSEAL FOB ARG-LIGHT ELEQTRDES.

l Nu. 918,5oo.

Spvecication ol Letters Patent.

Patented apra 42o, 1909.

Application med September 28; 1903'. Serial No. 455,186.

` 'u Aall? 'ar/mm 'it may concern:

Bel it known that I, Enwano 1t. Banni', :i j ctizcnof the United :,States, residing at Lynn, county of Essenhistate of Massachu- 5 l.e-ett.a1 haveiinvented certain new and useful improvements in Seals for Arc-Light Elec- 'f trades, of which the following isa `specification. t

' My invention has reference to ixupiovements ilrseals ,for arc light electrodes of the A l' kind in which the electrode material 'proper is in a grauulatedor powdered condition and y', 'is packedin zainictal tube, usuallyl of cylin.. irieal form. The electrode material noper 1.a is, ori-nay be,,either xuaguetite orc'ar iid of titanium, or cither of these substances mixed i 4,"withothers, and 1u invention has no refer-i v .smal l.-di. k. of sheetiron or of other metal. .:5 'llue .sealing of this-undef the electrode tube .is absolute v neccssaryysiuce, otherwise, the -1mvderod or granulatca'l electrode material would-in transportation and in handling be 304 infill-ingr the electrode untit for use.

-t ipar( ly. or who t' the sanne time the sealing device must be of a character to insure the starting of the arc at the beginning of :the operation; that is lo electricity. audthisl is the reason wlw a metal disk was heretofore used for this purpose; but in nsinga metal disk as u-'seal or plug the imtial are was established between that metal disk and the other electrode 'and 40 had, therefoie, a diiierent character than the f '45 liancy.' Thisperiod of transition from the4 initial, abnormal are, to the. rsistent, normal arc, is 'sometimes quite`- ong, and this formed a serious ob'ectionto the use of these metal disk' seals. oreover, the

would-.not always bear with itswedge .all around against the inner wall ofthe tube; therefore, some of thewdered electrode material 1n the tube wo dhershaken out of ly shaken out of the aube,

sav, the seal itself must be a conductor of' l itself was 4notalwaya perfect since the. l lis rarely` `'truly' cylindrical; so .that'thl-bdisk it in transit, so that some of the electrodes thus manufactured and ship d from place to place arrived at their fina destination in a state in which they were unfit for use.

It is the ob'cct of my invention to overcome these. di culties, and I do'cvercome the same by providing an adhesive conducting seal for magnetite electrodes, titanium car- 'bid electrodes, -a-nd other electrodes of this g'cneral character, the seal consisting of -a mass compounded of the electrode material 4proper with some substance by which'the mass is made plastic and adhesive, so that when forced into the end of the tube down vinto contact with the powdered electrode material which is compacted in the tube, it forms a close fitting and reliable seal that cannot beshaken out by rough handling in shipment or manipulation, and which, at the saine time, yields an initial arc ofthe same character as the powdered electrode material itself. l

" `\In the accompanying drawing, .which forms a part of this specification, my improvement is illustrated, the drawing showing alongitudinal axial section of a inagnette ofa titaniuincarbid electrode, with my improvement applied thereto.

The electrode is shown as consisting of a' tube 1 usually made off sheet iron or mild steel, the lower end of'which is closed by a ih imble 2 of the same material, forced into plaee.`l The electrode material 3 consists citheigof powdered niagnetite and such ad' mixtul'es as are usually employed, or of titanium carbid, or of any `other substance used for are light. electrodes in a powdered state. VCn top of this compacted electrode material is' placed my improved electrode seal o1' plug 4. This seal or plug is mad'e by mixing a quantity of the electrode materia-l powder with'any suitable adhesive substance,l such, for instance, as.shellac, resin, or celluloid, either dissolved in a suitable volatile solvent, or d1' d4'and powdered. If shellac be employed-which is the preferred adhesive material, ,l same may be dlssolved 1n aleohol and 'ai uantity of electrode 'material mixed with .1tl untila. rather thin dough is obtained, and a small quantity ofthis mass is then pressed into the end of the tube and made 'Hush with the upper edge of the tube. This seal or plug closely tits and strongl 4adheres to the inner wall of the elect e tube 1and also to the underlying surface of "thecompacted electrode material 3, andV when the solvent has evaporated the electrode is ready for' shi ment or use. 'Experience has shown t handling to which the electrodes are su jected, and the initial arc ielded by such an electrode has practically e same characteristics of shape, dry' owdered, itself of the plug needVnot be' l Instead of using the adhesive material, say

shellac, in solution, it may be use'd dry, beinfr powderedand mixed wit electrode material and f lieated, until' the in'ass becomes lastic z and is in that condition pressed into t e end suitablendhesivematerial, such um or adhesive mate. rial 'which when mixe tant feature.

l proved electrode it has the additional advantage .of

of 'the tube. i

The same modesof makin the seal AorY plug may alsoA be employed with any other as resin, oellulid, or any other with the electrode material yields a mass which is not appreciably inferiorin conductivity to the electrode ma-` teriall proper. If'the adhesive material is used in so ation, the solvent will, of course,

tbe chosen a" ro riatel Thu `for shellac quil b5 y sf alcohol -w the solvent or ordinary resin turpentine might be used for Celluloid an acetate would be used.

In addition to the .advantages of my imseal or plug above deg water-proof, which is quite an impor- What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is,-

' 1. plug or seal for an arc 1i ht 'electrode in which the electrode materia is compacted in a tube, consisting at electrodes thus' p sealed do not become unsealed by the rou h color and luminosit',T as the' compacted electrode materialand it has been found that fcarbid of titanium of a mass compounded' of the electrode material and an adhesive substance. 2. A plug or seal for an arc-light electrode in whic the electrode material 'is compacted in a metal tubeyconsisting of a mass compounded of the electrode material andan idlliesi've substance soluble in a volatile venc e.

3. A plug or seal for an arc li ht 4elecfrode in which the electrode materia is compacted in a metal tu consisting ofa mass compounded of the electrode material and a substance becoming plastic and adhesive under heat.

4. A plug or seal for an arc li ht electrode in which the electrode materi is com? pacted in a metal tube,consisting of a mass com ounded ofthe electrode'material and shel ac. 1

5. An arc light electrode consisting of an iron tube 'with powdered electrode material compacted therein, and4 a waterroof adhesive plug having .good electrica conductivity.

i 6. Anarc li ht electrode consista o'f a tube withV p owc ered electrode materia compacted therein, and a plug of plastic conducting material yielding an arc of substantially thesame character as the electrode material proper. i 1

7. An nrc liht electrode, an iron tube filled with a powder in w ich predominantes: Vand a plug com ouiided' o the -same material mixed-wit an adhesive substance. v

8. An-arc li ht electrode, consistin of an iron tube illewith'a powder in which carbid of titanium predominates, and a plu com osed of the'samepowder mixed witg shelac.

In witness whereof, I have -hereunto set my hand this twenty-fifth day of September, 1908. W y

EDWARD R. BERRY.'

Witnesses:

Jol-:m A. MoMANUs, Jr., CHARLES A. Balmain).

'consistinnr 0f 

